Possible attempt to intimidate Tellis witness leads to pursuit

Timeline of the events related to the death of Jessica Chambers and the trial of Quinton Tellis
Memphis Commercial Appeal

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Sherry Flowers testifies on the second day of the retrial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville, Mississippi on Wednesday. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to the murder.(Photo11: Mark Weber, The Commercial Appeal)Buy Photo

A possible attempt to intimidate a witness who testified Wednesday in the Quinton Tellis murder trial for the death of Jessica Chambers led to a pursuit by local law enforcement as the trial was still in progress.

Panola County Sheriff Dennis Darby confirmed that local authorities made what he termed a "traffic stop" involving an individual who may have been watching witness Sherry Rena Flowers as she left the Panola County Courthouse following her testimony.

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Quinton Tellis, right, is seen on the first day of his retrial in Batesville, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 25 2018. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to the murder. Brad Vest, AP

Defense attorney Darla Palmeron gives an opening statement on the first day of the retrial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville, Mississippi on Tuesday. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to the murder. Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal,

September 25 2018 - Ben Chambers, father of Jessica Chambers, is seen in the courtroom on the first day of the retrial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville, Mississippi on Tuesday. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to the murder. Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal

September 25 2018 - Judge Gerald Chatman on the first day of the retrial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville, Mississippi on Tuesday. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to the murder. Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal

September 25 2018 - Lead prosecutor John Champion on the first day of the retrial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville, Mississippi on Tuesday. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to the murder. Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal

September 25 2018 - Kesha Myer, identified as the best friend of Jessica Chambers, testifies on the first day of the retrial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville, Mississippi on Tuesday. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal

Deputy Prosecutor Jay Hale holds up a picture of Jessica Chambers on the first day of the retrial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 25 2018. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to the murder. Brad Vest, AP

Deputy Prosecutor Jay Hale makes an opening statement on the first day of the retrial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 25 2018. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to the murder. Brad Vest, AP

Dr. Carolyn Wiles Higdon, left, testifies during the first day of the retrial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 25 2018. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to the murder. (Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal via AP, Pool) Brad Vest, AP

Dr. Carolyn Wiles Higdon testifies during the first day of the retrial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 25 2018. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to the murder. (Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal via AP, Pool) Brad Vest, AP

Quinton Tellis, right, is seen on the first day of his retrial in Batesville, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 25 2018. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to the murder. (Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal via AP, Pool) Brad Vest, AP

Lisa Chambers, left, Jessica Chambers mother, is seen on the stand during the first day of the retrial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 25 2018. Tellis is charged with burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers to death almost three years ago on Dec. 6, 2014. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to the murder. Brad Vest, AP

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Witnesses said a number of officers, already in the courthouse for the trial, left quickly in pursuit of someone on a motorcycle. That came just after Flowers had completed her testimony and left.

Flowers testified that on the evening Chambers died, Dec, 6, 2014, she picked up a man near the location where Chambers' keys were found. Flowers said she gave the man, who she never identified in court as being Tellis, a ride to the area of Tellis' sister's house.

Flowers did not testify in Tellis' first trial last October.

Court officers also removed at least one person from the courtroom Wednesday. Darby said it may have involved someone making gestures as Flowers was testifying.

The incidents are the first disruptions to occur since testimony began Tuesday. There were no such incidents during last October's first trial, which ended in a mistrial. A member of the media was, however, found in contempt of court during the first trial for photographing jurors.